FG to link University of Transportation Daura to national grid
The federal government has said plans are underway to connect the Federal University of Transportation Daura, Katsina State to the national grid.
The government also said it would find a lasting solutions to the water challenges faced by students of the school.
The institution which commenced academic activities earlier in the year currently runs 15 courses with over 500 students.
The Minister of Transportation, Said Alkali, disclosed this after inspecting facilities at the university.
He said he believes tackling electricity, water and other challenges in the institution would make the learning experience easy for the students.
The Minister also expressed hope that the university would record significant growth and expansion following its enlistment as a beneficiary of interventions of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
Speaking on plans for the institution, he said: “I observed that there are lots of challenges most especially water and electricity. I have spoken with the contractor and to God be the glory, we have extracted commitment from the contractor; CCECC that the university will be connected to the national grid. We will also find a lasting solution to the water problem.”
He also hinted that he got a Presidential order to continue and sustain projects and contracts he inherited in the ministry.
“When I took over as the Minister of Transportation, I was directed by President Bola Tinubu, to continue with all the existing contracts, not only to continue but to sustain the contracts with the Ministry of Transportation.”
On efforts made to reposition the school, he said assistance and collaborations with the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, TETFund and others, he has been able to achieve considerable progress.
Alkali said: “After my appointment, I went out for an inspection tour of all the railway projects in the ministry. I came to the Federal University of Transportation Daura, which was constructed by CCECC Nigeria Limited, our contractor in the ministry as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.
“When I came I met a very beautiful edifice but unfortunately, only a Vice-Chancellor was appointed and the standard for any university is that it should have a Vice Chancellor, bursar, librarian and registrar.
“I approached the National Universities Commission (NUC), to appoint a mentor university for us so that they will be able to start admissions against the 2023/2024 academic year. The NUC appointed Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) to mentor the Federal University of Transportation Daura.
“Another challenge we had then, was that the university was not captured in the federal government 2023 appropriation year, so I approached CCECC to raise some funding for us as a quick means so that it will give us support to start academic activities against 2023/2024.”
He also noted that the university was not captured in the Federal Government’s 2023 appropriation, but President Tinubu approved the institution to be included in the 2024 appropriation.
On the number of students and courses, he said: “After the accreditation, the school admitted over 500 students, enrolled in over 14 disciplines.
“We have started the admission process and we outsource lecturers on a visiting basis.”
